ESPN made it clear they aren’t happy with LaVar Ball’s comments Monday to “First Take” host Molly Qerim Rose and said the media personality has been notified of that fact.
“LaVar Ball’s comment to Molly Qerim Rose was completely inappropriate and we made him aware of that,” a statement Tuesday issued to USA Today from the network read.
It all comes after the father of NBA players appeared on the show Monday and when Rose asked him if she could “switch gears” and move on to a different topic, Ball replied, “You can switch gears with me anytime.” (RELATED: REPORT: Los Angeles Lakers Expected To ‘Pursue’ Kawhi Leonard)
WATCH:
Lavar Ball really just made this comment to Molly Qerim on live TV. Props to Molly for the way she handled it. #FirstTake pic.twitter.com/BIP6Kwc777
— Dave Barabas (@barabas_dave) June 17, 2019
The host then responded for the personality to “stay focused” on the topic they were talking about. (RELATED: Turkey Vulture Crashes Into Stephen A. Smith’s ESPN Office)
Former ESPN reporter, Jemele Hill, praised Molly for how she dealt with the on-air comments and situation.
“Kudos to Molly Querim for the professional way she handled LaVar Ball after his inappropriate comment,” Hill tweeted. “Maybe ESPN will have finally learned its lesson about putting him on TV.”
Kudos to Molly Querim for the professional way she handled LaVar Ball after his inappropriate comment. Maybe ESPN will have finally learned its lesson about putting him on TV.
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) June 17, 2019
Well what way did he mean it then? Make it make sense. Molly just gotta sit there and get disrespected on her own show? https://t.co/599f3GkKvW
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) June 17, 2019
It wasn’t the first time Ball made headlines after making eye-brow raising comments to female reporters. In 2017, he appeared on a show on Fox Sports 1 and told reporter Kristine Leahy to “stay in your lane” when she asked him about his shoe brand Big Baller and wanted to know how many it had sold.
Colin Cowherd, the host of the show, then stepped in and told the NBA father that Leahy was just doing her job and Ball replied, “she can report to whoever she wants behind her.”
Lavar #BigBaller Ball out here telling Kristine Leahy to “stay in her lane” and that BBB only markets to “Big Ballers” not women pic.twitter.com/Q1E3eFbWtH
— Jack McGuire (@JackMacCFB) May 17, 2017